1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and method for allowing content licensed by a copyright owner to be used under a range of conditions described in license information. The present invention further relates to a data communication system including the information processing apparatus and a license issuing server, and to a data communication method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Commercial services for purchasing digital content, such as music and video, over a network, such as the Internet, have become widely available. For example, with electronic music distribution (EMD) services over the Internet, users can download digital music content and can store it in a client terminal or a personal computer to enjoy the content on the personal computer.
The personal computer initiates a music recording and playback application including a certain copyright protection technology under an operating system (OS), and stores a content file including encrypted digital content and a rights information file including conditions for the digital content in a storage device, such as a hard disc drive (HDD), thus realizing a highly secure service.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 14-359616 discloses an information processing apparatus in which a music recording and playback application including a certain copyright protection technology prevents content from being illegally used without impeding distribution of the content.
In DRM (Digital Right Management) services of the related art for purchasing digital content, such as music and video, over a network, such as the Internet, for example, a content file including encrypted digital content and a rights information file including conditions for the digital content are separately provided, thus realizing high-security EMD services. In such services, the specification of rights information files of digital content is defined depending upon the function currently available on a client module for using the content.
When the client module is updated, a new function becomes available. However, the user who has a previous rights information file cannot utilize the new function of the updated client module because the previous license does not support the new function. Thus, users are demanded to purchase a new license each time the module is updated.
It is therefore convenient to both a content provider and a content user that a rights information file owned by the user be updated when a client module is updated.